Municipalities, utility companies and similar organizations have historically used pneumatic pole or backfill tampers to compact soil in backfill areas. Backfill tampers are popular not only because they are lightweight and small, but also because can be easily and economically incorporated into existing outfits. For example, most municipalities have an air compressor that is used to operate other pneumatic tools. Backfill tampers therefore offer a low-cost alternative to other compaction devices such as for example gas-powered rammers.
Known pneumatic backfill tampers provide adequate compaction, but are difficult to operate for long periods of time because the tampers transmit a relatively large amount of feedback to the operator. Recently, there has been much attention paid to operator comfort while using small construction equipment. For example, the European Union has begun to limit the amount of time workers can operate vibratory equipment in hopes of reducing life-long problems including arthritis and nerve damage. These time limits are based on a frequency-weighted acceleration scale known as H.A.R.M.
It is therefore desirable to provide a backfill tamper with means to reduce the amount of feedback transmitted to the operator during use. It is further desirable to provide such a means for reducing feedback that is compact, economical, and adaptable for use with a wide variety of backfill tamper designs.